The Progressive Democrat Newsletter grew out of the frustration of the 2004 election. Originally intended for New York City progressives, its readership is now national. For anyone who wants to be alerted by email whenever this newsletter is updated (usually weekly), please send your email address and let me know what state you live in (so I can keep track of my readership).

Thursday, December 09, 2010

New Jersey Focus: Green Power Switch

Now more than ever America needs Green Power. Green Power means domestic energy and that means domestic jobs. Green Power means less money going to Iran, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela and more staying right here in America. That means more jobs right in our own communities! Green Power means cleaner air, cleaner water, less carbon emission and a stronger economy. And it is something we ALL can be a part of.

Here's a program to help New Jersey residents make the switch to green energy. The cost is generally less than 3 cents per kilowatt-hour more than you currently pay for energy. By participating you contribute to reducing carbon emissions, cleaning up New Jersey's environment, and stimulating New Jersey's economy. Three important ways of helping your local community, local environment and local economy, all for less than 3 cents per kilowatt-hour of energy you use. When my wife and I made a similar switch in New York, we barely noticed the difference in our energy bill. We also switched to compact fluorescent bulbs at the same time and the energy savings reduced our bill by one-third even with the small increase from buying green energy. Together, we reduced our carbon footprint by about 30% while overall saving money. I highly recommend the switch.

New Jersey has three options for Green Energy for your home, of varying cost and "green" quality all available through your utilities. You can compare them here:

Download the CleanPower application and mail it to the CleanPower Choice Program, C/O Honeywell, 145 US Highway 46, Wayne, NJ 07470. It's a quick and easy way to start improving New Jersey's air quality while also creating local jobs.